Innocence Jaded
by Sakamoto Michiko
Summary: Sabaku Gaara enters another year at Konoha Boarding School expecting the same as usual. It doesn't take long for things to quickly start slipping from control. He doesn't know why he's suddenly dreaming of his mother, but dammit, he's going to find out.
1. Wasted Time

_**Alright, guys, new story time!!**_

_**Here's the summary I promised before I go off and start talking about useless crap:**_

_A high school fic in which Gaara has to survive going to boarding school, and that's a lot easier said than done. Armed with his iPod, vocal chords and portable iPod charger, he must battle the forces of homework, school dances, annoying teachers, talent shows, bands, romance, heartbreak, dead batteries, bruises, wet shoes, drunken friends, insomnia, blackmail, first kisses, seizures, hangovers, alarm clocks, nightmares, suicide notes, hospitals, flashlights, revealed secrets and talents, prom and homecoming, and a visit from a person he wishes he'd never have to see again. And he's taking you along for the ride._

_**As for the pairings, we have LeeGaa and SasuNaru, along with KibaHina, ShikaTema and NejiTen, though those aren't important. I know, I'm such a yaoi fangirl. Bite me. :D**_

_**Alrighty then! I've had the idea of doing a Naruto high school fanfic for a few months now, and it started off centering around Sasuke, but I changed it to this. And I know the stuff in the summary is a bit hard to swallow (and yes, I copied and pasted it off my profile XDD), but it'll all make sense as the story plays itself out.**_

_**I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR ANYTHING RELATED, INCLUDING THE MUSIC IN ANY OF THE CHAPTERS. So leave me alone 'bout it. Stupid lawyers...**_

_**Alright, let the madness commence! Let me know what you think of this one, which means please please PLEASE review!!**_

* * *

"Turn that crap off, wouldja?!"

"Oh, like your sorry excuse for noise is any better! Just put your headphones in or something, like Gaara!"

"I can't hear it with that damned boy band stuff blaring!!"

"First of all, Paramore's lead singer is a _girl_, you dumbass, and second of all, I do _not_ listen to boy bands!" There was a pause. "But that can be arranged, if you want. Would you rather me listen to the Jonas Brothers?"

Silence followed in response.

Temari giggled. "That's what I thought," she said smugly.

Kankuro scoffed and stuck his head around the side of the front seat, looking at the thin redhead in the backseat. "Oi, Gaara," he half-shouted, yanking one of Gaara's headphones out.

Said teen's head snapped in his older brother's direction, eyes demanding the reason for breaking him from his blissful, sibling-less trance.

"Can you hear it, too?" Kankuro asked hopefully. "I'm not the only one, right?"

Gaara's eyes narrowed. "What, the voices in your head? I thought we'd already discussed this, Kankuro," he spat back. "Those dolls of yours cannot talk."

"They're puppets, goddammit!!" Kankuro snapped, a snarl twisting his face. "Why doesn't anyone _get_ that?!"

"Yeah, and that paint you insist on wearing when you play with them is _totally_ not makeup," Temari added sarcastically, giving him a sidelong, playful glare.

Kankuro sighed curtly. "Just forget it," he grumbled, facing front and slumping down with his arms crossed.

Temari smirked. "I win," she said triumphantly. Kankuro glowered.

Gaara sighed as well, shook his head, and shoved his headphone back in place, irritated. It didn't help his mood when he'd remembered where they were headed. He groaned loudly, hitting his forehead on the window and keeping it there as he glared out the window.

_What are the chances of us blowing a tire or getting pulled over?_ he pondered, though he knew it wouldn't happen, and that was merely because he _wanted_ it to happen.

His tear-colored eyes searched lazily around the cluttered, messy car. They stopped on the clock.

"How long have we been driving?" he asked, voice raspy with such little use.

"Huh? Oh, uhm…" Temari answered, thinking for a short moment. "About an hour and a half."

Gaara moaned again and slammed his head against the window harder than before. It took two hours to get to their destination. "Shikusho," he grumbled under his breath.

"Aww, c'mon, Gaara. School ain't that bad," Kankuro said, voice more annoyed than sympathetic. He hated when Gaara was in a bad mood. It was a pain in his ass.

Gaara didn't answer, though _**YES IT IS YES IT IS YES IT IS YES IT IS**_ was the only thing going through his mind.

What was the point of even going anymore? It wasn't worth it. Why was he putting himself through this headache? Why hadn't he just stayed home?

Oh, yeah. Because if he had, he'd be in for an even bigger headache.

God, he needed an aspirin.

With a sigh, Gaara looked down at the screen on his iPod, leafing through the songs of his favorite band, Linkin Park. He finally settled with 'Run Away' and turned the volume up.

All too soon, there was an annoying tug at his ear as the headphone popped out. "Hey, Gaara, for the last time, do you want McDonalds or _not?!_" Kankuro shouted loudly, a foot from his exposed ear.

Gaara snatched his headphone back from Kankuro's hand. "Only if they sell tranquilizer guns," he retorted. He didn't even bother with a sarcastic smirk or a roll of his eyes.

Instead of shuddering or turning around like Gaara wanted him to, his older brother simply raised a brow and looked at Temari. "Get him a milkshake or something. He's pissed," he said, smirking at the seething redhead.

"For the love of everything that is holy, would you shut the hell up?!" Gaara finally snapped. He groaned a sigh and slammed his head back onto the headrest of the seat. "You two are going to be the death of me…" he growled.

"Hey, what'd _I_ do?!" Temari asked defensively as the employee handed her a bag and drink carrier. She tossed the bag to Kankuro and stuck her hand out behind her, holding a medium-sized container out to Gaara.

He stared at it angrily. "I don't want a damn milkshake," he said in a low voice.

"Then just take it so I can drive, wouldja?" Temari said, exasperated. She knew he'd drink it anyway. Everyone liked milkshakes.

Gaara snatched the cup from her with a snarl on his face.

Temari grinned.

"What're you so pissed off for, anyway?" Kankuro asked before Gaara could shut him out with his headphone.

The redhead sighed, shutting his insomnia-stained eyes. "What do you care?" he grumbled so low no one else could hear.

"What was that?"

Gaara remained quiet until Kankuro gave up. Then he sighed, letting his head loll forward to stare at the milkshake in his lap. He studied the Braille on the cap intently.

How could Kankuro not know what he was so pissed about? Gaara had always _hated_ school, and not just in the way most teenagers did (only hating the work). Most of his teachers were insanity-inducing; exams were always tough and sometimes didn't cover material they'd learned; their uniforms were too colorful for his taste; his classmates were worse than his teachers, if that was at all possible; not to mention he was just _dying_ to see what new names and insults the other students had come up for him this year. If it weren't for Uzumaki Naruto, his best and only friend at the moment, he wouldn't even be in this car.

He was just starting to wonder if jumping out of the car would kill him or not when Temari announced with a flourish, "Well, here we are!"

Kankuro and Gaara sighed at the same time.

"Psh. Don't get so excited, boys," Temari teased, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, urusei," the brunette whined. "You don't even go to this school anymore."

Temari laughed once. "Yeah. Like college is any better."

There was a pause. "Hmm. Touché," Kankuro replied.

"Do you even know what that word means?" Temari asked cynically.

Gaara had already stopped listening to them. He looked down at his slowly melting milkshake, almost accusingly, like it was its fault he was on the verge of having a migraine, then took a big gulp and sighed. His head instantly felt better.

He saw Temari smirk in the rearview mirror, but he didn't care. To prove it, he took another sip. He switched hands with his milkshake and searched through the songs on his iPod, finally settling with 'Behind Your Lies'. He stared out the window absently and sipped at his milkshake.

Not far ahead, the young insomniac could see the bright green lawn that stretched far ahead of the large complex of brown-red buildings. A large, white sign was fast approaching on the side of the road.

_**Konohagakure no Sato Boarding School**_

_Huzzah,_ Gaara thought.

* * *

Gaara sighed as he fished in his pocket for his room key. His fingers scanned over some dead batteries, lint, but no key. He groaned and searched the other pocket, finally pulling out the small metal key.

It was odd, knowing Temari wasn't going to be there this year. Then again, it was equally as odd not having Kankuro as a roommate, but he could live with that.

The only drawback was wondering who his roommate _would_ be this year.

He hoped to God that it was Naruto. Even though he was loud and rambunctious most times, and had an unhealthy addiction to ramen, he was still Gaara's best friend, and if it meant not having to deal with...well, anyone else, he'd put up with Naruto. Besides, it wasn't like he needed sleep in the first place, and Naruto was notorious for staying up late (and sleeping in, too).

With a heavy sigh, he turned the key until it clicked, grabbed his bag off the floor, and entered the dorm.

"Gaara!!" shouted the yellow flash that rammed into the thin redhead once he'd shut the door behind him. The bright blur slammed the both of them up against the door, somewhat painfully.

"Augh! Itai!" Gaara said through his teeth, looking at his slightly taller attacker. Relief washed away his irritation at once. Blonde hair spewed off the teen's head, framing two, stunning blue eyes and a foxy grin. Three scratch marks adorned each cheek. Both arms were wrapped around Gaara's chest in an embrace. Gaara couldn't help but let out a chuckle, even if the hug violated his personal bubble. "Hello, Naruto," he said, half a greeting, the other half a hint for the blonde to release him.

Naruto let Gaara go, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly and grinning. "Heh. Gomen," he said. "But I haven't seen you in months! What'd you expect?"

"Nothing less from you," Gaara replied with the slightest of smiles, grabbing his bag once more. "So you're my roommate?"

Naruto nodded vigorously, still smiling. "I convinced Tsunade-baa-chan into allowing it," he said triumphantly, crossing his arms as he led Gaara down the narrow hallway.

Gaara tilted his head to the side, confused. "You wouldn't rather room with Sasuke?" The redhead knew how Naruto was constantly with his best friend, the raven-haired Uchiha.

"Naw, I can hang out with him anytime," Naruto said, shrugging it off. "I hardly get to see you anymore. So, I talked Tsunade-baa-chan into it, and now I get to torture you every day!!" He grinned malevolently and rubbed his hands together.

"Yippee," Gaara said in mock annoyance, rolling his eyes.

Naruto smiled wider still, but after a moment, it faded. His eyes drifted down to Gaara's arm, and a frown found its way to his mouth. Gaara gave Naruto a questioning stare as he took the pale teen's wrist and turned his arm sideways, revealing a dark blue spot, about as big as the front of a fist.

Naruto looked up at Gaara, now. "Dammit, Gaara, you can't take that shit from him!" he chided.

Gaara pulled his arm away, his sour mood returning. "And do what?" he demanded, a bit harsher than he'd meant. "You know there isn't a thing I can do."

"Punch him back!" he said, putting his arms out to the side. "Give him a taste of his own medicine!"

Gaara shook his head, staring at the bruise. _That might as well be a suicide wish_, he thought to himself.

After five seconds of silence, Naruto gave up with a sigh. "Well…whatever. Whatever goes on between you two isn't really my business anyway, is it?" he said, shrugging. Then he smirked.

"What're you smiling about?" Gaara asked, one invisible eyebrow arched.

"Think about what I just said," Naruto said, shaking his lowered head and still grinning.

Gaara did, then grabbed a pillow off the couch and smacked Naruto upside the head with it. "You have a sick, twisted mind," he grumbled, unable to keep the tiny smirk off his face. _Leave it to Naruto_, he thought.

Naruto fell onto the brown-and-green-striped couch in a fit of laughter. "Man," he said between breaths, "I missed—messing with you—like that!"

Gaara rolled his eyes and headed towards the bedroom to unpack, though he knew, as much as he wouldn't admit it, that he'd missed it, too.

* * *

"So what happened this summer? Anything epic?" Naruto asked after letting out a long, contented sigh.

Gaara blew air out of his mouth as he stared up at the sky. He and Naruto had opened a large window and were both sitting on the sill, legs dangling down. The number of stars in the sky said it was about two in the morning, and both boys were still wide awake. A soft breeze swept past them, raising tiny bumps on Gaara's bare arms. In response to Naruto's question, he shook his head. He then looked at Naruto and asked him the same question with his eyes.

Unlike most, Naruto wasn't put off by Gaara's silence. He understood why. "Oh, oodles," he said, leaning back a bit and cradling his head in his hands. "I've been dancing a lot more lately."

Gaara nodded, urging the teen to continue. Naruto had told him about his hobby, or passion, rather, about two years ago. He'd made Gaara swear never to tell a soul, to which Gaara had replied "Who would I tell?" Naruto had shut up after that. A few weeks later, Naruto had asked him if he'd wanted to watch him dance. Gaara had agreed, and was glad he had. Naruto was amazing—the way one move flowed into another flawlessly, even if Naruto's style was hip hop and freestyle, and the occasional break dance. Still, no one had found out about his hidden talent, though Gaara didn't understand why.

Naruto's face darkened. "Iruka found out about me dancing," he said glumly. "He says it's alright as a hobby, but I have to focus on school first, to get a well-paying job doing something I enjoy." He sighed and shut his eyes. "Only thing is, dancing _is_ something I enjoy doing. I've been doing it for years, and not to be stuck up, but I'm pretty damn good!" He shook his head now. "But what kind of well-paying job can I get dancing?"

Gaara remained quiet, listening to Naruto vent.

"And not only that," Naruto went on, "I can't tell anyone about it—besides you, o'course. And it annoys me. I can't even tell Sasuke, cuz what'll he think then? He'll just call me a gay fag or something and never speak to me again." Naruto's voice sounded defeated.

"Why are you afraid of his reaction?" Gaara asked in his quiet, raspy voice.

Naruto flinched. "Uhm, ah…n—no reason," he stammered, shaking his head again.

Gaara shot him a confused look. What was he getting so nervous about? Did he miss something?

Naruto looked at the redhead. "Augh, sorry for putting all of that on you," he said, sighing. "It ain't your problem."

Gaara shook his head. He didn't mind it when Naruto vented on him like this. He always listened whenever Naruto needed him to. And Naruto told him pretty much anything and everything, knowing Gaara was a trustworthy person and wouldn't breathe a word to anyone.

Said blonde's sad mood seemed to melt. "So, c'mon, _nothing_ interesting happened?" he pestered, sucker-punching Gaara's shoulder.

Gaara rolled his eyes. "Naruto, I think you and I both know my life is anything _but_ uneventful." _If not painful_, he added mentally as he massaged his new bruise.

Naruto pretended not to notice Gaara doing so, and instead stretched and yawned elaborately. "Well, I'mma crash right here if I don't get to a bed soon," he said. He spun around and slid off of the window sill. "You mind if I turn in for the night?" He knew full well that those rings around his friend's eyes were not eyeliner.

Gaara nodded.

Naruto smiled and headed towards the bathroom. "A'ight, then. Oyasumi nasai, Gaara," he said cheerily.

"Oyasumi nasai," Gaara replied. Once Naruto had shut the door behind him, Gaara sighed, kicking his right foot absently. He felt his iPod thump against his leg in the pocket above his knee. He reached in to retrieve it, sticking both headphones in his ears, then he swiveled to the side so he could rest his feet on the window sill and still see outside. 'Papercut' by Linkin Park pulsed through the tiny speakers, it being the last song he listened to in the car. Gaara pressed the pause button and lowered the volume a bit before choosing 'Take Me Under' by Three Days Grace as his next song. He was vaguely aware of Naruto 

leaving the bathroom and walking lazily to the bedroom, but he didn't acknowledge it. He was already getting lost in thought among the stars.

Naruto's words from earlier in the day rang through his head like an echo.

'_Dammit, Gaara, you can't take that shit from him!'_

'_Punch him back!'_

Gaara almost laughed to himself. Him? Fight back? He was hardly athletic—he could run pretty fast and far, but when it came to strength…

…Eh, not so much.

But there was more to it than that. The last thing he _wanted_ to do was fight back, to show that the bruises and cuts were finally getting to him, that he was finally starting to crack under the pressure. Gaara would _not _let that…bastard have the satisfaction of thinking he'd won.

Gaara honestly couldn't understand how Temari and Kankuro could stand to call that man 'Father'.

What kind of parental love or guidance had he ever shown Gaara? Since when had he ever cared about his wellbeing, like a father should? What kind of father beats their son for something that wasn't their fault?

Gaara's hands balled into fists, quivering slightly. It didn't make sense. Everyone seemed to blame _him_ for his mother's death. For Christ's sake, she'd committed suicide when he was only a week old! How the hell could _he_ have caused that?! Did anyone even realize the torture he went through day after day for _her_ actions, the actions _he_ was being accused for?

Did _she_ realize that? Was she watching him, wherever she was, knowing that _she_ was the cause of all his misery? That _she_ was the reason Naruto was his only friend, the reason he'd used to hate every other human, including his siblings and himself? The reason he no longer slept, the reason he'd spent half of his life taking out his rage and self-hatred on other people?

He hoped she did.

Gaara flexed his fingers, trying to relax his muscles once more, but found it hard to do so. His entire body was tense and stiff with anger that he'd, for the most part, held in all week.

He pulled out a headphone for a short moment. The sound of Naruto's snores in the other room came to meet his open ear. Gaara sighed. He knew once Naruto was asleep to the point of snoring, he wouldn't wake up to any noise at all. A shotgun could've blasted right beside his ear and he might have flinched, but he wouldn't have woken up.

Gaara was sure that Naruto wouldn't be able to hear him…

Sighing, Gaara replaced the headphone in his ear and chose the song 'Wasted Time' by Fuel. He started humming along to the tune. He pulled his knee up in front of him while the other leg dangled out of the 

window, and laid his forearm on his knee, still humming. The chorus passed, starting the second verse. His humming grew a little louder throughout the verse until the chorus started again. This time, he took a deep breath and opened his mouth, singing quietly.

_And say hello to alone again_

'_Cause_ _everything's broken  
Everything's vacant  
Everything's wasted time again  
Sentiments hopeless  
Innocence jaded  
Everything's wasted time again_

He shut his black eyelids, his voice growing a little louder as he sang into the bridge.

_Oh, someday we might find  
Some sacred place in time  
But until then all we'll share  
Are dreams we've left behind_

He started bobbing his head lightly to the beat, becoming more absorbed in the song and less focused on his surroundings.

_'Cause everything's broken  
Everything's vacant  
Everything's wasted time again_

Gaara's head bobbed a bit more now as the instrumentals picked up once more. He started vocalizing until the lyrics picked up again.

'_Cause everything's broken  
Everything's vacant  
Everything's wasted time again  
Sentiments hopeless  
Innocence jaded  
Everything's wasted time again_

His eyes remained shut, engrossing him in blackness, disconnecting him from the world around him. His headphones were a stopper to unwanted sounds, leaving him blissfully unaware of his surroundings. Luckily for him, tonight, there was no one to bother him, as Naruto was still deep in sleep.

_Everything's broken  
Everything's vacant  
Everything's wasted time again  
Sentiments hopeless  
Innocence jaded  
Everything's wasted time again_

At this point, Gaara was so immersed in the song that he'd forgotten where he was, or what he was stressing about, but he didn't care to remember either. The only thing he wanted was to keep singing. So he did.  
_  
Everything is broken (Everything is broken)  
Everything is wasted time (Wasted time)  
Everything is broken (Everything is broken—)  
Everything is wasted time_

The song ended too soon for Gaara's liking. His eyes slowly opened, then quickly looked down at his iPod, setting the song on repeat, and he didn't hesitate to immediately join in, not even checking if Naruto was still asleep. He knew he was.

_Say it to my face  
__Look me in the eye  
__And say what you have to say  
__You know we can't erase  
__These words that form goodbye  
__And turn the final page  
__  
__Ah, here comes alone again  
_'_Cause everything's broken  
__Everything's vacant  
__Everything's wasted time again_

The redhead closed his eyes and was immediately wrapped up in the song, forgetting everything else that could possibly matter at the moment.

Gaara's voice, like his speaking voice, was a little rough and raspy, but it added to the uniqueness of the sound rather than took away from it. His tone wasn't low, more in the middle, like most teens his age. He could hit the higher notes if he wanted to.

Gaara sang on throughout the night, finally able to relax his tense muscles, even in the cramped position he was in. Nothing mattered to him, and he felt like nothing could.

As he sang, he hoped his mother could hear him. He wanted her to hear him, to know that her even though she may have hated him, and had cursed him with his name, and had killed herself just to put him through hell, he had found a loophole. A way to escape from the stress and anger and depression. He'd found something he was truly happy doing.

He hoped, wherever she was, she knew that her efforts were wasted time, and now, there wasn't a thing she could do about it.

Gaara couldn't help but grin at that thought.

* * *

_**Ayup. Gaara sings. And Naruto dances. If you don't like it or think it's gay, then leave. kthnxbai.**_

_**I **love** the song 'Wasted Time' by Fuel. Seriously, people, listen to it. You won't regret it.**_

_**Alright, well, as always, please review and let me know what you thought of my new story! I'll try to upload more, but school is starting on Tuesday (sob sob) so I'm not making promises. But I will try, and that includes** 'You'd Never Get It'**, as well.**_

**_And that's all folks! Time for me to intensify my self-induced insomnia by staying up 'til the ungodly hours of the morning by writing and drawing!! :DD Ja ne!_**

**_Sakamoto Michiko_**


	2. I'm Gonna Need An Aspirin

**_I'm horrible._**

**_I'm absolutely HORRIBLE._**

**_It's been, what, four months since I've updated this?! And it's only the second chapter!! What is wrong with me!!!!! TT-TT_**

**_Well...it's up. It's short, it's not that great, and it gave me so much grief that I wanted to gouge my kidneys out with a spork, but it's fuckin' HERE. And it was rather fun to write...but I had added a lot after the ending I've posted, and I...just didn't like it. . So I'll figure it out and try to post more soon._**

**_Gawd, school always gets in the damn way (I have Honors Chemistry, AP US History and Honors English all in one day -faints-)._**

**_I DON'T OWN NARUTO OR ANYTHING RELATED. So stick that in your juice box and suck it. :D_**

**_And thank you thank you THANK YOU to everyone who has favorited/alerted/commented on this story so far. I love you all so much, and wish I could name you all. -throws cookies at readers-_**

* * *

Gaara stood in the bedroom, glaring at the atrocity on his bed stubbornly.

Alright, maybe he'd been wrong to say the uniforms were too colorful before…but they were too…_light_ in shade.

The jacket and pants were a very light grey, with a white, button-down shirt and a _bright_ red tie. No student was allowed to alter the outfit in any way—that meant no buttons, chains, excessive, gaudy jewelry, and no usage of scissors to the fabric.

Gaara looked down at his black cargo pants, black T-shirt with a red blood splatter design, and multiple necklaces, bracelets and wristbands. Then he looked back at the uniform.

They expected him to _wear_ this?

"Gaara!!" Naruto called from towards the front door. "Quit sulking and get dressed, or I'm leaving without you, dattebayo!!"

The redhead growled, pounding his fist onto the shut door to let Naruto know he'd heard him and wasn't particularly happy. Defeated, he grabbed the clothes and started getting dressed. He went over his schedule in his head as he slipped his shirt off, his scowl darkening with each class.

_Writing, Chemistry, Modern Japanese, English Reading, Calculus, Art, and Ancient Japanese. Please, someone, if you can hear me…just kill me now,_ he begged mentally.

"_Gaara!!!_" Naruto hollered.

"Choto matte, baka!! Kuso!!" Gaara shouted back as he buttoned his shirt, leaving it and the jacket un-tucked. There were no rules against _that_.

"Oi, what'd you just call me, temee?!" Naruto retorted.

Gaara swung the door open, grabbing his messenger bag off of the couch. "You heard me, _baka_," he said, a hint of a smirk on his lips.

Naruto's face turned red, contrasting with his thin, black scratch marks. "Why, you…" he grumbled before grabbing his own bag and stomping out the door. "Ketsunoana—you asshole," he said over his shoulder with a smirk of his own.

Gaara half-smiled. "It takes one to know one."

Naruto rolled his eyes and headed down the hall, Gaara not far behind.

Gaara shut his eyes and sighed. He had Chemistry, Art and Mod Jap with Naruto, but the rest of the time, he was on his own, and wasn't looking forward to that. _I suppose Tsunade-sama is being generous enough, letting us room together,_ he reasoned in his head, but that didn't mean he felt any better about it.

"Ano sa, Gaara," Naruto called, stopping so his friend could catch up. "What's your first class again?"

"Writing," Gaara mumbled, the word rolling off his tongue like poison.

Naruto winced. "Ooh, harsh," he said, hissing through his teeth. He hated writing.

"Huh," Gaara said in agreement. He wasn't very keen on literature as well, especially when he was the one writing it.

"Well, I've got P.E. first hour, so I won't be seeing you, then," Naruto said, almost apologetically. He scratched the back of his neck with his hand nervously, a bad habit of his.

The redhead sighed. "I know that," he grumbled. _Don't remind me_, he added mentally.

Naruto started to head down the opposite hall towards the locker rooms. "I'll see you next hour! Ja ne!" he said cheerily.

Gaara waved and turned left, facing his back to Naruto. After a moment, he sighed and pulled his iPod out of his messenger back, shoving in one headphone and wrapping the other one around his neck onto the opposite shoulder. He kept one eye on the hallway, steering clear of the other students, as he turned on a random song by AFI. The song was only halfway finished when he arrived at his classroom.

Gaara paused in front of the door for a few seconds, letting out a small sigh. He wasn't too excited to hear what his classmates had to say about him this year. The insults had only gotten worse when word got out about the tattoo on his forehead last year, and he knew that joke wasn't going to die anytime soon. Repressing a groan, he entered the classroom, pulling out one headphone.

His eyes scanned the room quickly. He recognized a few people—there was that annoying brunette, the kid louder than Naruto. _What was his name? Kita? Kira?_ Gaara thought before shrugging the thought off. Behind the brunette was a girl with pink hair. Gaara cringed. _Damn, why does Sakura have to be here?_ he though in exasperation. He also recognized Hyuuga Neji, his cousin, Hinata, and Uchiha Sasuke, none of which paid attention to him. Everyone else was new to him, but he didn't particularly care. It wasn't like he'd be talking to them anyway. He slowly walked to the back of the room in the far corner, the only open seat. Much to his chagrin, he had to be sitting next to someone, but at least he didn't have to sit in the front. He could live through it.

Gaara set his bag down on the desk and sat in the chair, crossing his arms and turning down the volume on his iPod a bit. He shut his eyes, trying to focus on the song and not his surroundings.

"Hello!"

Gaara's eyes opened slowly. It took a moment for him to realize that the greeting was for him. He turned his head to look at the person sitting next to him. The boy had black, shiny hair, cut in an even line around his head and eyebrows so huge, it didn't seem possible. A grin spread across the stranger's face. "You're Gaara, right?" he asked.

Gaara nodded after a second. Where was this guy going with this? His tone wasn't mocking, which was rather surprising.

"My name's Rock Lee. Naruto-kun has told me about you," Lee explained, seeing the confusion in the redhead's eyes. It seemed like he was expecting it.

Gaara's brow rose. "Are you one of his friends as well?" he asked in his quiet voice.

Lee nodded, his smile spreading. "I've known Naruto-kun for a few years now." His eyebrows came together slightly. "I'm surprised I haven't seen you around," he added curiously.

Gaara shifted his eyes down on instinct and shrugged it off. He was surprised to see a slightly tanned hand sticking out in front of him a second later. He looked up at the bushy-browed teen, who was smiling once again. "Well, it's very nice to meet you finally, Gaara-kun! Hagimemashite!" he said cheerily as he bowed halfway in his seat, his hand still stretched forward.

Gaara stared at the hand for a few seconds before slowly taking it in his own, letting Lee shake it firmly. "H-hagimemashite," he replied awkwardly with a bow of his head.

As the two boys pulled their hands away, another person entered the room. Both teens turned their heads to face the front. Lee chuckled when he recognized the man. "So Kakashi-sensei is going to be teaching this class now," he said, more to himself than anything.

Gaara's brow rose once more. The man—Kakashi, as Lee had called him—had silver hair that defied gravity. Gaara absently wondered how many cans of hairspray a day it took to keep his hair like that. _Suddenly, global warming makes sense,_ Gaara thought with a hint of a smirk. Kakashi also had a scar over his left eye, and his nose and mouth were completely covered with a deep blue scarf. Gaara frowned when he saw the scarf, confused.

"Kakashi-sensei's been doing that for as long as anyone can remember—no one knows why," Lee whispered, noticing Gaara's puzzled expression.

Gaara jumped at the sound of Lee's voice, but nodded in understanding all the same. He wasn't used to people randomly talking to him, especially when their tone was so friendly. He wasn't quite sure what to make of it, either. Then again, he didn't want to put someone out for being nice to him. "Have you had him before?" he murmured to Lee.

The black-haired teen nodded with a smile. "He's my second favorite teacher. I like him because we have hardly any work at all! I'm not a big writer," he admitted.

"Hardly any work?" Gaara repeated, his tone questioning.

Lee nodded towards Kakashi. "You'll find out in a moment," he answered simply.

The redhead paused before nodding slowly and turning to face the front once more. The silver-haired man had just finished writing his name in very neat handwriting on the whiteboard. At this point, the rest of the class had fallen silent.

The teacher sighed. "Well, as you can see," he drawled, tapping the board with his knuckle, "my name is Hatake Kakashi. I'll be your teacher for the next four terms, so you better get to like me now." He shut his eyes in a smile that made Gaara roll his eyes.

"To get things started off," Kakashi continued, holding up a clipboard, "I've got a seating chart right here. Everybody gather your things and go stand in the back of the room so I can assign your seats."

The entire class let out a groan in unison.

Gaara chuckled. _I think the class went into harmony just then,_ he thought as he grabbed his belongings and followed the crowd, taking his place in the corner. He kept his head against the wall with his books held by one hand against his waist and shut his eyes until he heard his name called.

"Alright, back row, left side of the aisle…" Kakashi said loudly. "First seat is Rock Lee, followed by Sabaku Gaara, Sakamoto Michiko and Uchiha Sasuke."

The young insomniac sighed. Great, someone else had gotten the corner seat—now he may actually be forced to participate in class. He shuddered at the thought, then slowly trudged to his new seat.

"Well, hey, look at that," he heard someone to his left say as he sat down. He looked to see the bushy-browed boy from earlier grinning at him. "We ended up sitting next to one another. Kinda ironic, huh?"

Gaara could swear he _heard_ the kid's teeth sparkle.

Even still, this Lee guy was being nicer to him than anyone had been in…God, Gaara couldn't even remember that far back! So what was the harm in returning the favor? "Yeah, guess," he said nonchalantly.

He couldn't deny it. It felt…good, to have someone other than Naruto to talk to. Lee seemed like an all around nice person, which was an extremely rare find for Gaara.

He then looked to his right to see who his other neighbor was; her name sounded familiar earlier. As soon as he recognized her, he almost smashed his head into his desk. He was sitting next to the girl who had been infatuated with him for the past four years.

There'd been an awkwardness between the two of them since the day two years ago that she's admitted his feelings to him. Gaara had turned her down (rather coldly, might he add) and the two had avoided one another ever since.

She was staring at him uneasily through her rectangular glasses and choppy blonde bangs with her big, brown eyes, obviously trying to be discreet. As soon as their eyes met, she flinched and looked away, then groaned and smothered her face in her arms, muttering a "God dammit all! Just my fuckin' luck!" into her sleeve.

And only adding to the fun (since Gaara is known to be a very, very lucky person himself), he saw Uchiha Sasuke, one of the biggest pricks he knew (and half the source of his constant misery, at that) sitting next to her, staring straight ahead and obviously trying to ignore the commotion next to him.

_Fantastic ,_Gaara thought with an audible groan. _This year is going to be __**boatloads **__of fun._

* * *

**-Smitteh passes out- And there it is! What kind of horrors and stresses will Gaara face next?!**

**Be patient with me and you'll find out. :D**

**I promise I'm not done with this--I...just take an excrutiatingly long time to update sometimes. ^^;**

**MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!!!!!!!! 8D -Hohoho!-**


	3. I'm Not Afraid Of You

**Oh, wow.**  
**It's been so damn long since I updated this story. A couple years now, right?**  
**I can't really tell you what possessed me to finally write a new chapter. It's not that I wanted this story to die; I actually really liked this one, more than the other one I had.**  
**Frankly, I guess I fell out of my Naruto phase sometime before my Junior year of high school.**  
**But here I am, almost ending my Senior year, about to graduate. :) And recently, I've started to fall back into my love for Naruto. Not nearly as obsessively as I had been a couple years ago, but what can I say? I fell in love with the series for a reason. :P**

**So, I decided to write a new chapter. And I just may continue doing that.**  
**I do have to say this, though. I'm _probably _going to get rid of the LeeGaa pairing. At least in the romantic sense. If anything, it'll just desolve into a LeeGaa FRIENDSHIP pairing. (I'm going to keep the SasuNaru pairing, but it isn't going to be heavy-duty. But it'll be there lol.) I'm sorry if that disappoints anyone, but I have to ask you to keep reading this story despite that. I've got some interesting ideas in store for this, since I get the feeling I'm going to get back into the swing of writing this. Lee and Gaara are still going to end up being very close; there just won't be any make-out scenes involved. Again, I'm sorry if that disappoints people. :/**

**But I've rambled enough. Here's the next, VERY long overdue chapter of Innocence Jaded! Please give me some feedback! And enjoy. :) (P.S. I do not own Naruto or any of the songs included in this series. Thankyouverymuch.)**

* * *

Partner projects.

The bane of any introverted, anti-social student's existence.

Unfortunately for Gaara, he fit all of these criteria (and much more), so he wasn't the happiest young man alive the day Kakashi announced a partner project a couple weeks into the term. He'd passed out the rubric and Gaara had skimmed it over as the teacher read it aloud. _In preparation for Franenstein, a novel we will soon be reading, you and a partner will be constructing your own "creature,"_ Gaara read. _You may draw it, sculpt it, or whatever other method you choose to do, but it must also include a written paper describing your creature, why it was created, blah blah blahhh... _The silent redhead rolled his eyes quickly. _Slightly childish for a higher-level literature class,_ he thought with a hint of disgust.

He had to admit, however, that the credentials of the assignment weren't what worried him. It was the fact that he had to collaborate with another student. His faint eyebrows touched in frustration (and, dare he say it, a smidge of fear?). While the class wasn't entirely made up of people who would relish the opportunity to make his life miserable, none of them were anyone he'd consider a friend. Hinata never did anything to hurt him-she had even thrown a few sympathetic glances his way in the hall-but he doubted she even knew his surname. Kiba once smiled at him (he couldn't remember why) but Gaara doubted he even knew his _first_ name. And Michiko...well, she obviously had nothing against him, having confessed her feelings for him, but that was the very reason he didn't want to be stuck with her anymore than he already had to. No matter where he sliced it, Gaara couldn't see a situation he'd be willing to endure. Except, maybe—

"Alright, now to assign the partners..." Kakashi announced, clapping his hands together to revive the attention of those who had drifted away. "And luckily for you, I'm going to be doing the picking for you!"

Gaara wanted **so badly** to rip that sly smirk off Kakashi's face, and dug his nails into the skin of his palm to control his temper. _That slimy bastard,_ he silently fumed. _He'd better choose wisely or I will personally shove his di—"_

Kakashi cut Gaara's malicious thoughts short: "But I'm feeling rather unoriginal today. So! Just work with whoever you're sitting next to!" His one visible eye shut in a small grin. "I'll let you choose your own partners next time." With that, he vanished behind his desk with a small, orange book. The class took that as a sign to take the rest of the class period to work (or at least make it look like they were working) and the room was filled with excited chatter as each group started sketching out their ideas.

Gaara looked to either side of him. Michiko, to his right, had her back to him._ Looks like she's working with Uchiha, _he thought. _Which leaves me with..._ He shifted his body to the left, and was greeted by blindingly clean, perfect teeth.

"I suppose that makes us partners, then," Rock Lee chirped. His shiny, black hair feel slightly over his large eyebrows and his dark eyes were shut in a way-too-happy grin.

Still, Gaara couldn't help but feel slightly relieved. Since the first day of class, Lee had been nothing but kind to him. The pale redhead had almost wondered if it was too good to be true; after their first encounter, he had kept his guard up higher than usual around this kid. Who was to say this Lee guy wasn't just trying to gain his trust, only to pull the rug out from under him? He wouldn't have it. So he spent the next few days being silent and cold, hardly even looking Lee in the face.

That started to change the day Lee had said something surprising...

...

"You don't have to be so afraid, Gaara-kun."

Seventeen years of keeping all emotion off his face served Gaara well that day. But despite his calm demeanor, his chest had clenched rather sharply. There were so many things he wanted to say in that one moment, and all of them were pretty damn rude and self-assuring. He kept his lips tight together and bit his tongue, though.

Lee let out a small, light laugh after a moment of silence. "You are very good at keeping your facade up, Gaara-kun, he teased (Gaara was surprised that Lee was able to poke fun at him without being cruel). "But your eyes are much easier to read."

Gaara quickly looked away, suddenly uncomfortable with the way Lee was staring into his eyes. His fists balled up and he ground his teeth together a bit, but he remained silent. What was he supposed to say?

"Gaara-kun, I am not going to bite you," Lee chuckled. "I know a little more about you than you think."

A quick, sharp jolt of terror hit Gaara's heart like hot glass. He felt his black eyelids widen for a second before he gained control of them once more. He didn't know what Lee was playing at, but he wouldn't let him win this game. "If you mean to intimidate me," he said coarsely through clenched teeth, "you are going to have to try harder." _What does he know?_ he found himself wondering, a little frantic. _Did he find out why I have a tattoo? No, that's old gossip, nothing worth threatening me with... Did he notice my bruise? Though, there's no way he could know the cause behind it...only Naruto knows that. I'm being foolish, anyways. He hasn't seen my arm, since I'm always wearing this jacket in class... _He forced himself to once again connect his eyes to the other boy's, his jade irises fierce and demanding.

"Haven't I told you," Lee said, obviously not intimidated, "that Naruto-kun is a mutual friend of ours?"

Gaara's heart stopped.

What did Naruto say?

Lee must have noticed Gaara's shoulder's tense and his pupils (though already tiny) shrink to pinpoints. "Oh, please do not worry!" he said, waving his hands in front of him innocently. "Naruto told me nothing of consequence! I do not know what secret you may have that you are so afraid of me knowing, but I can assure you that it is still safe."

A small wave of relief drowned Gaara and he quietly let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. He absently hoped Lee hadn't noticed that. "Then, what did he say?" he asked. He noticed his own voice was smaller than usual; he really needed to get some more sleep, his voice was starting to fade with exhaustion.

A small smile tugged at the corner of Lee's mouth. "He mentioned that you're rather shy, which I can see pretty clearly for myself," he said, as if he were telling a joke. Gaara wasn't entirely sure if he appreciated that tone, but he let it slip. "I guess," Lee continued, "I was just worried that you didn't like me, with the way you had been acting." His eyes were at his knees now: he almost looked sad, and the redhead couldn't really tell why. What did it matter to Lee if he didn't like him?

Gaara bit the inside of his lip. He had to admit, this big-browed teen was starting to confuse him. Gaara prided himself in being able to read people pretty well, but it wasn't exactly that he couldn't figure out Lee's personality—this kid seemed like the kind of boy that just couldn't keep his intentions under the radar. He couldn't discern Lee's thoughts or actions. They kept jumping from one thing to another, and he was having a hard time keeping up.

Just as quickly as it had left, Lee's brilliant, toothy smile returned. "I only talked to him to find out if maybe you'd said anything about me, or if I was doing something to upset you," he explained. "He only told me that you're a bit shy."

_You should know why,_ Gaara almost said. _I'm pretty infamous at this school._ The smallest of frowns found its way to his face but he kept his eyes veiled, guessing that'd be the first place Lee would look. He was starting to get a little sick of this conversation; this bowl-haired kid was creeping in a bit too close for his liking, and though it didn't look like there were any cruel intentions involved, he was still skeptical. "The word 'shy' is a better description that 'afraid.' I'm not afraid of you," he said, his voice rough with irritation.

Again, Rock Lee continued to smile. "Alright, I just want you to know…" He trailed off, as if trying to find the right words to say. "I think you're an interesting person, Gaara-kun. And I'd like to get to know you better, if you'd let me."

Gaara studied Lee's deep brown eyes with a stare he knew was too intense for most people to handle. Maybe that was his subconscious trying to test the other teen's resolve, trying to sense any lies or trickery before it could reach him. He couldn't bring himself to fully trust this boy. Not that he was anybody special—it had taken Gaara a couple years to fully let the dam down for Naruto, and the circumstances here were so very different… _But I see no trace of hatred,_ he thought curiously. _Though this is one of the first times we've spoken, I know this guy knows who I am. Despite that, he still wants to be…friends? What could he possibly hope to gain?_

That lack of hate must have been what broke Gaara's own resolve. Against his better judgment, he let out a small sigh and nodded his head, facing away from the other boy. He said nothing, but that small gesture seemed to be enough to send Lee into bliss. Out of the corner of his black-rimmed eye, Gaara saw him smile so large that his eyes shut. His own mouth twitched with the urge to smirk.

...

Since that day, Gaara and Lee had developed a mutual understanding of sorts. Lee understood that silence from the redhead necessarily equate to hostility, and continued his friendly efforts with a determination that rivaled even Naruto's. As for Gaara, he soon figured out that Lee wasn't going to relent any time soon, and decided to enjoy the fact that one of his classmates not only tolerated him, but even seemed to accept him. However unsure he still felt about it all, what was the harm in at least having someone to pass the time with?

What was the harm…?

* * *

There she was.

Her golden hair swirled around her face, lightly trailing along her pale cheeks. Her bangs fell softly down to the bridge of her nose, covering her eyes. An invisible breeze shifted them to the side, but only for an instant at a time. Her light-colored clothes were clean, but the skin of her arms, face and chest were dirty with something dark.

She was smiling. A soft, simply happy smile.

Gaara swallowed hard. This is how it always started. She always smiled at him when they met like this, but he knew it wouldn't last once her eyes—

Wait. _Her eyes_.

They were blank, so white that they looked as if they were glowing. The small breeze had become a strong gale. She was suddenly showered with light, and Gaara realized with horror that her skin was covered with blood. He cried out in disgust and tried to run from her, but fell to his knees.

This was different. Normally, by now, she would have vanished in a wave of sand, carried away by the wind, leaving him with so many questions…

The bloody woman slowly crept towards him, her smile growing, eyes still emitting that wicked, terrifying light. Her dress started to gather more blood below her stomach, dripping down her legs in heavy rivers. Gaara felt his stomach heave with both fear and revulsion. "Stay away from me!" he screamed, hands trembling and teeth chattering. He squeezed his eyes shut, willing the woman to leave; he didn't care how, he just wanted her _gone_. He was on his hands and knees, and his body wasn't listening to him as he tried to force himself to stand. Frozen in place, all he could do was hope to God that she wouldn't be there when he opened his eyes.

"Oh, Gaara, my baby…" Her voice cut through all of his terrified thoughts, striking him through the heart.

The redhead took in a sharp breath and his eyes snapped open. "_My baby"…?_ he repeated mentally. "Wh…what did you just call me?" he breathed. His whole body quaked. _Who is this woman?_

A faint, echoing giggle came from the woman before him. Her voice sounded louder—she must have gotten closer. Gaara refused to look up, however, and kept staring at the white ground below him. "Honey, don't you recognize your own blood?" the girl said, a hint of amusement in her tone.

Gaara almost shrieked in surprise. Was all of that blood on her…his blood? His head snapped up to face hers, ice-blue eyes connecting with deep purple orbs. Her eyes were suddenly normal, no long stark-white (to his relief). "My blood?" he repeated, brow furrowing in confusion. "How can that be my blood on you…? I don't even know who you are!"

In response, the woman hid her mouth behind her dripping hand and laughed once more. "Oh, Gaara," she sang. "I didn't mean that in a literal sense, silly. This isn't your blood," she assured him. "But we are of the same lineage. Don't you recognize me at all?" Her eyes had a touch of sadness to them.

For some reason, that bothered Gaara. He didn't want those eyes to be sorrowful…wait, why did he care? He let a snarl appear on his face, showing his teeth in frustration. "Who are you? Why are you here?" he demanded fiercely. When she didn't reply, an angry shout came from Gaara: "Answer me, dammit! What do you want from me?"

Suddenly, the woman was hovering right above him, her eyes level with the tattoo above his left eye. His heartbeat fluctuated. Her face showed no sign of hatred or spite as she gazed almost…_lovingly_ at his face, into his eyes, somehow finding a way into this mind and soul just by staring at him. His mouth hung agape and he could have sworn he felt a tear slide down his cheek.

Gently—so gently that Gaara wondered if he'd imagined the contact—she laid her clean, pink lips on the center of his forehead, then pulled back and breathed a small laugh. "Gaara, you may never know how thankful I am to you," she whispered.

Gaara shuddered as her breath landed on his face. He tried to speak, but suddenly had no voice. There was so much he wanted to ask, but one thought was starting to emerge above the rest.

The way she was able to look straight into him, past every barrier he had ever constructed around himself... The way she smiled at him, and the way she had kissed him just now… One word surfaced in his mind, and he found himself saying out loud:

"…Mom?"

She smiled with bright eyes.

And then his world was blinded with light...

"_Gaara_! Wake up, say something,_ do_ something! C'mon!"

Blue, luminescent eyes stood mere inches from Gaara's face as his own eyes suddenly snapped open. Thankfully, Naruto had almost cat-like reflexes, or else their foreheads would have collided as the thin redhead suddenly shot off the couch. His movements were so quick, he ended up falling off completely and landed on the carpet, catching himself with one hand to keep his head from colliding with the ground. His breathing was deep and panicked. "Mom?" he muttered, too low for anyone other than himself to hear.

"Jesus, Gaara, you scared the living hell out of me!" Naruto cried, placing a hand on his chest as if it would help calm his racing heartbeat. He leaned over and put a strong hand on his friend's shoulder, eyes narrowing with confusion. He hadn't seen Gaara this worked up in quite a long time, now. Naruto wasn't an idiot—he knew that he was the only person Gaara would let himself show this much emotion around, and he was simply overflowing with it right now. It kind of scared him; whatever was going on, it wasn't trivial. "Tell me what happened," he said firmly. It wasn't a request.

Gaara coughed as he choked on his own air. His thoughts were nothing but a blur, one replacing the other just as he captured them. This made no sense. Was that really his mother? Why would she come to him like this? And why had she said she was thankful to him? Wasn't he the reason she was dead? Didn't she _hate_ him? That's what his father had always told him…

"Gaara," Naruto pried, more concerned than ever. Gaara's eyes were wide and shaking, as were his fingertips and jaw. It was the slightest quiver, but Naruto had never seen him shake before. "Please, say something, buddy…"

Swallowing and taking a deep breath, Gaara looked his friend in the eye. "I…I'm fine," he said finally. _Should I tell him what I saw?_ he wondered silently. _I hardly understand any of it myself…_ He decided to keep it to himself until he sorted his raging thoughts. "Just a nightmare."

He quickly looked away from Naruto, not liking the way his eyes were searching Gaara for some sort of answer. He let his mind wander for a moment, shutting his eyes in exasperation. _Mom…what do you want from me?_ he asked silently. _Why now…?_

* * *

**Ohhh boiii, plot twist! :)**

**Here's hoping you enjoyed this chapter. I had a good time writing it, especially the nightmare scene. I know Gaara seemed a bit OOC there, but remember that it's a dream. And a pretty bad one at that. (There's a reason his mother showed up, by the way. But you'll find that out later.)**  
**Give me some feedback, guys. And thank you for reading. :)**

**-Sakamoto Michiko**


	4. That One Brick Fell

**Looks like I'm doing a better job of updating, yeah? Second chapter in only a month.****  
****I am on a ROLL, baby.****  
****:)**

**I like were this is heading.****  
****At first, re-reading this, I was starting to fear that Gaara was getting a little too out-of-character.****  
****I have decided, though, that I like the way I'm portraying him. Keep in mind that when he's around other people, that guard is still up. It's not like his facade is gone entirely. It really only happens when no one else is around.****  
****But I do like giving him a bit of a sense of humor, even if it is a little dark.**

**I can't guarantee another chapter going up as quick as this one did. I think if I try to crank out another chapter, it's just going to suck. This was a struggle to write and write **_**well**_**, y'know what I mean?****  
****But hopefully, I will have enough motivation to continue. I like this story-I really do. :P**

**And I have made a final decision: the GaaLee/LeeGaa pairing is **_**OUT**_**. I'm sorry, LeeGaa fans, but I've outgrown that phase. I won't be able to write that pairing and make it satisfying. (SasuNaru is staying just because it's going to be amusing. XD) There may be some one-sided LeeGaa just for plot-thickening reasons, but as of right now, I don't even know if Gaara is going to find much romance in this story.****  
****Ahh, who am I kidding. Of course he will. I just don't know who the lucky girl is going to be yet. :P****  
****But romance will not be a major-major theme in this story.****  
****Please, PLEASE do not let that discourage you from reading this, however. I have a lot of good ideas spinning around in my head for this. This story is going to get seriously F'ed up for Gaara-san.**

**So stay posted, fans. :)****  
****Thank you for reading! Please give me some feedback.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Nor do I own any songs or bands used in any chapter I write (in this case, "Graveyard Dancing" and "The Hangman" by D.R.U.G.S and "Fallen" by 30 Seconds to Mars. I also do not own Starbucks. lol****  
****ENJOY.**

* * *

For the vast majority of his life, Gaara hated the idea of sleep.

Before, it had brought nothing but misery to his life. Sometimes, he was plagued with nightmares. Demented dreams, usually involving demons (mainly one demon, a huge tan-colored beast with blue tattoos and mocking, golden eyes) and a disintegrating woman. He woke from those shaking and confused, and usually couldn't allow himself to fall asleep again for a couple days at the least.

Other times, he would be rudely awakened by his father, drunk off his ass and looking for a fight. Gaara was always the first target, and before the fiasco was through, he was sure to have at least one new bruise and enough adrenaline in his blood to keep him awake for hours. Lately, these late-night spats were becoming so frequent, the poor redhead almost didn't see a point in even trying to get some rest; he was sure that as soon as he'd finally be able to relax his body, he'd be jerked awake once more.

But in the past four days, that had started to change. Ever since that frightening dream Gaara had about the woman who claimed to be his mother—he still wasn't sure if that was even the truth, but how could he know?—he was almost desperate to see her again. There were so many questions he had for this woman. He had no idea if she would be able to answer them, but he had to try.

And not only that, but the feelings he got when she had gazed into his eyes and kissed his forehead were strangely…nice. Compassion from family members wasn't something he was usually exposed to. Sure, over the past two years, he and his two siblings had grown from borderline-hatred to being able to at least tolerate one another. Deep down, Gaara knew he cared about those two, and they had made it apparent (especially Temari) that they truly loved their baby brother.

But his father loathed his son. He wasn't very fond of Kankuro or Temari, either, but it was clear that he despised his youngest. And his uncle, Yashamaru…well, he was a major part of the reason why Gaara was so screwed in the head anyway.

Overall, Gaara considered himself an orphan of sorts. No real family, besides the loose ties he was trying to strengthen with his brother and sister.

So the fact that his "mother" seemed to care so much about him, regardless of the fact that they had never once spoken to one another…was nice. Somehow, he felt like he didn't have to prove himself to her to gain her approval. He wouldn't admit it, not even to himself, but he wanted those feelings to come back.

With that in mind, Gaara spent each night doing something he'd never done before: actually _attempting_ to fall asleep.

And sometimes, it worked. He would fall into a deep slumber, once managing to sleep through the entire night. His body relished the extra rest, something it was definitely not used to.

But he didn't dream. Not once.

Which, as you can imagine, pissed the pale teen off beyond healthy levels.

Naruto, being more perceptive than he would let on, noticed this after a couple days. So when Saturday evening rolled around and he found Gaara sleeping on the couch once again, he rolled his eyes. "I don't know what you're tryin' to do with all this obsessive sleeping," he thought aloud, "but it sure as hell ain't gonna make you any prettier. Time to cut this short!" He stomped over to the striped piece of furniture and stood in front of his friend. He took a moment to watch him sleep, smirking wryly. Gaara really did look like an entirely different person when he slept (which was a rare occurrence for Naruto to catch). But he decided blackmail opportunities would come again, and took a deep breath…

"SABAKU GAARA, GET YOUR SWEET ASS _UP_!"

Gaara literally leapt up, eyes wide and a quick "What the fuck?" escaping his lips. Naruto couldn't help but let out a belly laugh at his friend's outburst; Gaara didn't usually use swear words, not unless he was truly surprised or furious. "Get off the ground, pretty boy," Naruto teased, crossing his arms over his chest and trying to silence his laughter. "We ain't stickin' around here anymore tonight, and you've got no say in the matter!"

Gaara sighed through his nose and rubbed the side of his head lightly, trying to quell the headache he knew was coming before it hit him. _Dammit, Naruto,_ he thought heatedly. _I haven't had any luck in dreams lately, but that scare was enough to give me nightmares. _"If I'm not allowed to dispute the decision," he grumbled, slowly getting to his feet, "can I at least know where we're going at…10:30 at night?" He had to admit that he was a bit surprised at the time, his eyes widening at the wall clock. Wasn't it a bit late to be doing anything?

"We're going to Sasuke's dorm," Naruto said, twirling through the short hallway to retrieve his orange hoodie. "Neji is with Tenten, so we're gonna keep him company for a while." The excitement in the blonde's voice could be heard by a deaf man. Why he was so eager to see the stoic Uchiha, Gaara couldn't fathom.

As tempting as leaving the confines of their bleak dorm sounded, Gaara shook his head. "Gomen, Naruto," he murmured. "But I have something else I've got to take care of tonight."

His friend's eyes hardened ever so slightly. "This has something to do with that dream you had the other day," he stated; it wasn't a question. "You still owe me an explanation for all of this. Don't think I'm gonna forget that!"

Gaara sighed. While Naruto's tone was playful, he could see it in his eyes—he knew something had gone wrong the other night, and he wasn't going to let it die until he found out what exactly had happened. Still, Gaara wasn't that keen on sharing. "It's nothing you need to worry about, Naruto," he sighed, waving the topic away.

Silence followed for a short moment, and Gaara noticed that his friend wasn't buying it. "You didn't see yourself, Gaara," the tan boy said, his voice stern. "You looked as if someone was…" He grimaced and took a breath, scratching the back of his neck. "I don't even know. But you were groaning and shaking… It was scary, seeing you like that."

_Scary…_ Gaara repeated the word in his head. He didn't like the way that word had fallen off Naruto's tongue; it was clear that he was worried, maybe a bit frightened about what he'd seen. And that bothered Gaara, far more than it probably should have. He closed his eyes, his resolve breaking. "I'll tell you about it, but not right now," he said quietly.

"You swear?" was Naruto's reply.

"Yes, I swear."

That seemed to be enough to satisfy the blonde boy, and a small smile graced his features. "A'ight, then, I'll be off!" he said brightly. "Don't wait up for me, sweetie!" Laughing at his own joke, Naruto shut the door, leaving Gaara alone.

Silence enveloped the insomniac. He let his body fall backwards against the wall and his neck relaxed. _I'm sorry for lying to you, Naruto,_ he thought. Crimson locks of hair brushed the bridge of his nose.

It wasn't that he was going to try and sleep once more—that scare from earlier had left his heart rate pounding enough to fully awaken him. He knew his body wouldn't allow him to sleep for another couple hours, at least.

He just wasn't in the mood to be around people. Even his best friend.

"A walk is what I need," he decided aloud. _I don't know why, but I feel like burning off this energy may help me some._ He nodded and reached for the things he'd need: his navy-blue hoodie, cell phone, and his iPod.

Walks were something the redhead partook in quite often, especially at night. Feeling the cool air on his forearms and watching the starlight glisten off the sidewalks (it rained often in Konoha) was something he relished. Gaara was born and raised in a neighboring city, Sunagakure, and while he loved his hometown more than most did, he enjoyed what Konohagakure had to offer him. The moist, windy climate differed greatly from Suna's dry, chapping heat.

Moving around also helped the Sabaku boy clear his mind, most times. He didn't know why, but he wasn't about to question it. Why challenge a good thing?

Within minutes, Gaara had slipped outside (he'd gotten very good at this over the years) and sauntered aimlessly towards the trees, not far from the dorm building he resided in. "The Hangman" by D.R.U.G.S pumped through his headphones, serenading him into a trance. By now, he was wandering the tiny path through the foliage, typically used by the track team. He had no idea when he'd gotten there, but continued to walk deeper into the forest. When "Graveyard Dancing" by the same band began to play, he sang along proudly:

_The locusts took over my brain,_

_I'm not living for you;_

_I'm just living, so chill with your guilt._

_You hope for sun, I want rain._

_We just tear down the walls_

_And the home that our jealousy built._

_You're not as pretty as you maybe think that you are…_

If he could hear his own voice over the sound of Craig Owen's, he would have noticed that it was unusually raspy. The fact that Gaara knew he was completely alone allowed him to sing without shame, and he hit every note on the head once the chorus kicked in.

_It's been watching you,_

_Your slips and slurs and play on words_

_All fall from your mouth,_

_Each mutter rolling, dripping from your tongue;_

_My plague's begun…_

On a sudden whim, he burst into a sprint and launched himself into the air, grasping the rough bark of a tree branch. He dangled in the air for a moment before quickly lifting his body up, settling himself onto the strong limb with a sigh.

Gaara hardly admired the way the moon turned the leaves silver, or the harsh yet musical sound the breeze made as it weaved through the trees. Instead, his teal eyes narrowed as he grumbled, "This isn't making any sense." _Actually,_ he thought, _the more I think about all of this, the less sense it seems to make… The woman I met before is supposed to be my mother. I suppose I can believe that. She looks remarkably similar to me and my siblings, namely Temari (that would explain the blonde hair). But her behavior… I can't make sense of it. _He chewed the side of his bottom lip, sifting through his iPod library until he found it: "Mystery of You" by Red. Hard and angsty, yet quiet enough to be background music to his thoughts.

It was true, though. He couldn't make heads or tails of the way his "mother" had treated him. Ever since his very first memories, his father had put all of the blame for her death on him…

Gaara had no single fond memory of the man who helped birth him. When he wasn't at work or passed out in a drunken slumber, he viciously attacked his youngest son. His favorite phrases included, "She killed herself because of you! She never wanted you, you piece of shit!" and "Go join her in Hell, you worthless little fucker!"

These were experiences Gaara could trace all the way back to the age of four years old, perhaps even earlier. It started with neglect, and then evolved into verbal assaults.

Not long after his sixth birthday, on the anniversary of his mother's suicide, his father struck him for the first time. It was a backhanded smack across the face that left the poor boy shaken for days.

_He_ was the reason Karura had taken her own life. It was _his_ fault that his father loathed him, that his siblings stayed far from him in every way possible way, and that his uncle would one day betray him in ways he never could have imagined…

Yet when his eyes met with hers, there was no anger. No disgust, hatred or distance. Her purple irises seemed to smile at him. She looked amused, as if his confusion was cute to her.

_Something isn't adding up,_ he pondered, a little irritated. _I "killed" her, didn't I? That's what my father has always told me… Shouldn't she hate me for that? _But there wasn't a spot of doubt in his mind—this woman didn't hate him. Not at all.

If anything…maybe she even loved him.

"_Gaara, you may never know how thankful I am to you."_ Her words echoed in his mind. "I did you no favor, Mother," he whispered. He brought his legs up towards his chest and rested his forehead on his knees, his arms wrapping around his stomach. "What have I done to make you grateful towards me?" He stayed in that position for a long time, letting his music sedate him for a while. It felt good to feel emotions that were induced from song lyrics and harmonies, rather than memories he wished he could forget. "Fallen" by 30 Seconds to Mars found its way to his ears, and he lifted his head and took a breath:

_Yeah I've been to Jupiter,_

_And I've fallen through the air…_

His fists clenched. He couldn't describe why, but he was suddenly furious, and it showed in his voice as he sang.

_I used to live out on the moon,_

_But now back here down on Earth…_

Maybe it was the lack of answers. The fact that as soon as things were finally falling into a routine, something had to fuck it up. Sure, he didn't lead a very happy life. But at least he was getting used to it. He had figured out how to guard himself, both physically and mentally.

_Why are you here?_

_Are you listening?_

_Can you hear what I am saying?_

And now, everything was crumbling. He wanted to stop feeling the way he did. He was vulnerable, now, and he knew it.

Being vulnerable pissed him off.

_I am not here,_

_I'm not listening._

_I'm in my head, and I'm spinning…_

Gaara wasn't weak. Not even in the position he was currently in, confused and angry—he knew that in the back of his mind. Despite everything he had endured in his life, he had never been without strength or courage. It was a trait he had been born with, and though it showed itself in subtle, silent ways, it was apparent. The entire school could see it in his eyes. They were like chips of murky ice, giving no hint to what was beneath them. As much as everyone tormented him, they would never take it too far. He was feared.

But right now, as he sat alone in that tree, he felt as if the ice was starting to melt.

He had a tiny feeling in his chest that something, very soon, was going to mess with everything he'd spent eleven years to build up.

Then again, he'd made it through the last catastrophe in his life. And he had been only six at the time.

As quickly as it had come, the tiny hopeless feeling faded. _I guess I'll just have to be prepared for it,_ he thought with a sigh. _I can handle it, whatever it is. I always do._

And that's what made him so strong.

* * *

There were few places in the world where Gaara could stand crowds, and one of them was Starbuck's. So when Rock Lee suggested they meet up there to work on their Frankenstein project, the redhead wasn't hesitant to oblige. He was in the mood for a caffeine fix, anyway.

He meandered down the sidewalks of the school grounds, taking his sweet time getting to the coffee shop. Thankfully, it was on campus, so it wouldn't take him long to get there.

"Hello, Gaara-kun!" Lee said cheerfully, giving a small wave and his trademark grin as Gaara walked through the door. He looked as if he had arrived only moments ago; his backpack was slung over one shoulder and he wore a green, over-the-head sweatshirt.

Gaara simply nodded and set his own bag—a messenger bag—on the nearest table. The black-haired student seemed very happy to see him. Unsettlingly happy. But Gaara let it slide._ "If it isn't broken, don't fix it,"_ he decided.

Once the two had ordered their drinks, they sat down and started getting to work. It had been decided that Lee would type up the essay about their creature, while Gaara drew it out. Within half an hour, they already had a monster planned and roughly sketched.

"It seems we have accomplished as much as we can here," Lee said, leaning back in his seat. His voice sounded glum, as if he wished there was more that could be done.

Gaara quirked a faint eyebrow. "I suppose so," was all he offered.

Rock Lee sighed. "I do not really want to leave yet, though. I have already done my training and my homework…" he muttered.

Gaara took a sip of his coffee and shrugged. "Then don't leave," he said, as if that were obvious. "I have plenty of time to kill." It wasn't that he was particularly excited about spending more time with the green-clad track star. He just had nothing better to do with his day. He figured this was better than watching Naruto play Mortal Kombat until the wee hours of the morning.

Light flashed in Lee's eyes as his smile returned. "Sure," he said. "So…" He tapped the side of his cup absently.

The Sabaku boy had to fight a smirk. This Lee kid was obviously not good with ice-breakers._ Perhaps we have more in common than I thought, _he thought with amusement. He decided to keep quiet and see what the other boy would do next.

After a moment, a look of confusion and curiosity slid over Lee's face. "Gaara-kun, your hair…" he said, pointing to the top of Gaara's head. "Am I mistaken, or is it brown?"

"Hmm?" Gaara hummed, instinctively reaching a hand up. He grabbed a couple strands of hair and gently tugged them into his line of sight. Sure enough, streaks of light brown hair peeked through blood red. "Oh," was all he said.

Now Lee looked very puzzled. "I thought your hair was naturally red?" he questioned. His tone sounded as if he was afraid of being too nosy.

The "redhead" shook his head. "I am naturally a brunette, like my brother and my father," he stated. "I've been dyeing my hair since I moved here from Sunagakure."

Gaara didn't particularly mind sharing that with Lee, but he decided to withhold his reason why he hid his true hair color—with brown hair, he looked remarkably like his father, and the sight he saw in the mirror disgusted him. He decided to change that when he moved to Konoha.

Lee's huge eyebrows rose. "Huh," he grunted. "It seems there is more I don't know about you than I guessed."

"You undoubtedly know most of it, with all the rumors flying around." Gaara surprised himself with how nonchalant his voice sounded. Most would say that with bitterness. _Guess I'm getting accustomed to it,_ he thought.

"I stopped believing those rumors long ago," Lee said with a wave of his hand. "Especially when people began to gossip about your tattoo. They're petty and…downright obnoxious. Besides, I can guarantee a majority of them aren't true." Lee laughed lightly. "Ino, Sakura and Karin aren't exactly the most reliable sources."

Initially, Gaara was surprised by what Lee said. It wasn't often when someone didn't give in to high school rumors, regardless of who it involved or what was said. He felt a bit of respect for the kid before him for resisting that. Then, slowly, a dark smile hinted at the corners of his lips. "Humor me. What were the speculations about my tattoo?" he asked. He crossed his arms on the table and let a small chuckle out. "This could be amusing."

Lee seemed slightly uncomfortable with the way the conversation was heading, but seemed to loosen up when he saw no malice in the other boy's eyes. "Well," he started, counting each story off on his fingers, "most people say that it is a Kanji of some sort, but there have been some pretty far-fetched guesses as to what it says. The most popular are…" Now Lee's face was turning red with embarrassment as he listed each one: "Sex, faggot, murder, whore, death, and…monster."

The bowl-cut haired boy took a deep breath before continuing. "As far as how you got it, some say you carved into your face yourself. Others say you got drunk and had it done when you were too wasted to care."

At this point, Gaara stiffened slightly. Surprisingly, one of those rumors was close to being true. He had actually been high. His father's beating had been particularly brutal that night, and he knew his older brother had a stash in his room. It didn't take him long to find it. Within the hour, he was inebriated enough to decide that a tattoo would be a fantastic idea. He came home from the parlor with a bloody bandage on his forehead and a pain-induced sober. _Lucky guess,_ he supposed in his head.

"And…that's about it," Lee finished. He shifted in his seat. "I don't believe any of those guesses on what your tattoo says, though."

"You shouldn't," Gaara said in a level tone. With a sigh, he lifted his over-grown bangs up, revealing a brunette hairline and his tattoo. The strokes were surprisingly smooth and well-drawn, and the shade rivaled that of his hair. "Consider yourself privileged. You're the second person to ever see it besides my siblings," he said with a hint of humor.

"_Ai_," Lee read aloud, eyes widening slightly. "Love?"

"Yes. Surprised?"

"Uhm…honestly? A little."

Gaara let his hair fall back onto his forehead. "Anyone would be, I suppose." He felt rather strange. Why was he so willing to let this guy see his tattoo? He kind of got the feeling that he wouldn't be…judged by him. It was a welcomed feeling, but he was still a bit skeptical. "I've never bothered to fight against the stories that get spread around. There aren't many who would listen, anyway," he said.

That statement didn't appear to sit well with Lee. "I am sorry to hear that," he said solemnly. Quickly, though, a smile crept onto his face. "I am interesting in learning more about you, however." He pointed in the direction of Gaara's tattoo. "I will bet that there are some intriguing stories behind that tattoo, and everything else about you."

The insomniac crossed his arms. His eyes searched those sitting opposite him, and he was a bit surprised at what he saw. _That look…reminds me of Uzumaki,_ he thought. _That look of someone desperate for a friend, who has been lonely, and is willing to accept. Just like me…_ That look is what kept Gaara from shoving away from the table and telling Rock Lee to fuck off.

Maybe, with this guy, he could let a brick or two down from the wall he had built around himself.

Before he had a chance to react, however, a quiet vibrating sound cut off his thoughts. His shoulders jumped and he looked at his leg. His phone was going off, and needless to say, it had startled him. He sighed and pulled it out, sliding it open. A text message from his blonde friend was waiting for him:

_**hey. um. so u should come back to the dorm cuz 1) i have food and 2) i need ur unbiased opinion about somethin. so yeah, come back. like now. a'ight? cool.**_

Gaara sighed and typed back a quick reply, saying he was on his way. "I apologize, Lee, but I need to get going," he said as he stood.

Lee joined him and grabbed his backpack. "No, that is alright. I am glad we were able to get some work done, and that we got to talk as well," he chirped, flashing a grin.

Gaara nodded in agreement, and the two boys parted ways. As he slowly walked back to his dorm, he felt one single brick in his internal wall start to loosen until it crashed to the ground.

He decided to let it stay there.

* * *

**And so ends the fourth installment of my story.**

**I really hope you're enjoying this so far. I'm really trying to make this interesting. I even had to re-write a large portion of this chapter and scrap a LOT of stuff. I've giving it my best shot, here.**

**PLEASE tell me how I'm doing. If I'm going to get back into the swing of writing this, I need to know some people are at least reading this. ...lol**

**So, yeah. More to come. Fo' shizzle. :)**

**-Sakamoto Michiko**


	5. I Need You Dead

**Well, here we are! I'm uploading a new chapter!  
I have to admit, this is starting to go in directions I never thought it would when I first started this two years ago. And I'm pretty okay with that.  
The plot focus is changing entirely. It's gone from romance/friendship to a sort of mystery/suspense. Strange things keep happening to poor Gaara and he's just trying to figure out what it all means.**

**Things get more fucked up for him in this chapter.  
Cuz that's how I like it. :)**

**So yeah...I think I'm gonna seriously continue this. Which is awesome. Cuz I like this story. :P**

**And with that, I ask you to please read on and enjoy! Reviews are greatly appreciated.**

**I do not own Naruto or anything related to it. Nor do I own Pizza Hut (because it is mentioned in this chapter).**

* * *

"I knew it."

"You WHAT?"

"Naruto, calm do—"

"Y-you bastard! How did you know? Answer me, damn you!"

"I just—"

"GIVE ME AN ANSWER, SABAKU!"

Gaara winced and resisted the urge to sock his panicking friend in the stomach. "Calm yourself, Naruto," he growled, deep in his throat. He could feel his right fist form, but he forced his fingers to stretch and relax. "Nobody told me anything, if that is what you fear. It was just a gut feeling, nothing beyond that."

Naruto's blue eyes shone. He obviously wasn't too happy. "How long?" he demanded, brow furrowing.

Exasperated, Gaara sighed. "I'm not sure. I never really paid it any mind. It didn't matter to me."

That statement sent Naruto rocking back on his heels, eyebrows up to his hairline. "Wait," he said. He held his hands up as he spoke. "You mean...you knew, but you didn't care? Like, it doesn't...bother you?"

"Why would it?" Gaara replied. He was being honest—he couldn't care less about what Naruto had just confessed to him. He narrowed his eyes with an incredulous expression; he was surprised he even had to explain this at all. "Why would I try to stop you from being happy? It isn't harming me. Therefore, I will not try to stifle it."

There was a moment of silence, and in that moment, Gaara thought his friend was going to burst into tears. His eyes seemed to glisten and his lips tightened together. He let out a deep breath and muttered, "I don't think you know just how much that means to me, Gaara."

Said redhead let his weight fall backwards on to the couch, crossing his arms over his chest. He let a light smile grace his features. "Just don't come on to me because I know that you're gay now, got it?" he taunted.

Naruto let out a boistrous laugh. Gaara guessed it was out of nerves. "Don't flatter yourself," he chuckled, flopping into the loveseat. "Honestly, I don't even think I'm fully...gay." His brow furrowed. "I've never thought any guy this way other than just...him. I think I'm only gay for him, y'know what I mean? And if anything were to happen to separate us, I'd probably go straight back to looking at girls."

Somehow, that made some sense to Gaara. Granted, he wasn't very educated on matters of affection and love. He had yet to have his first girlfriend, or even his first kiss. But, despite how confusing it had sounded, what Naruto said made him nod in agreement. "Are you going to tell him?" he asked.

Naruto's body locked up. "No," he said quickly.

Gaara shot the blonde a quizzical stare. _What has him so on-edge?_ he thought.

Quickly, Naruto relaxed and licked his lips. "Not yet. I'm not risking anything right now."

Gaara quirked an eyebrow. "I took the news just fine; why wouldn't he?"

"Because," Naruto sighed. "He's not like you are. Not as…level-headed."

The redhead shrugged, not really wanting to push the subject any further. He could tell his friend was shaky enough as it was without him prying. He fiddled absently with one of the earrings on his left ear and exhaled. He was about to speak up and say that he was feeling hungry, but a loud grumble from his abdomen did that for him. _When was the last time I ate something?_ he wondered to himself.

Naruto chuckled and spun in circles in the direction of the kitchen, a strange habit he had whenever he was hyper or nervous. "I've got some Pizza Hut here. Want a slice?" he called over his shoulder.

Gaara responded by leaning over the counter, grabbing a piece of pepperoni littered food, and cramming a third of it into his mouth. The spicy meat instantly calmed his stomach and he took two more pieces, setting them on a plate.

The two teens ate in silence, as Gaara was a little too focused on feeding himself for the first time in he- couldn't-even-remember-how-long. It wasn't long before Naruto pulled him out of his feeding frenzy with a question: "You gonna tell me about that dream of yours anytime soon?"

Eyes widening a little, Gaara forced himself to swallow the pizza in his mouth. He cleared his throat awkwardly. A familiar, sour feeling started overtaking his chest._ I had sworn to him I'd fill him in on what happened,_ he remembered. He was suddenly starting to regret that decision. The sight of his bloodied mother flashed in his mind and he ducked his head down, hiding a wince.

The blonde let out an exasperated sigh. "Seriously, Gaara. Not to be a dick, but I just came out of the closet to you." He held up his hand as if to say, 'Return the favor, why don't you?'

Gaara shot his friend a quick glare before sighing. His eyes shut as he spoke: "I dreamt about my mother."

Now it was Naruto's turn to choke on his food. "For real?" he asked incredulously.

Gaara simply nodded.

"Well, you can't just leave me hangin' there, bro! What else happened?"

The redhead felt his right hand clench. Naruto was practically shouting, and it was starting to tick him off. He didn't want to make a huge production out of this—the situation was awkward enough. Regardless, he pushed his plate of food aside for the moment and relayed the events that had played out in his dream. He found himself unable to continue once he reached the part where his mother had kissed him on the forehead. Words seemed to fail him; how was he supposed to describe that? A light heat crawled across his face at the thought.

Once Gaara had explained as much as he could, Naruto let out a low whistle. "That's heavy shit, man," he said in a scholarly tone (Gaara couldn't help but roll his eyes). "In all seriousness, though…what'dya suppose all it means?" He leaned back in his chair. "I mean, your dead mom just pops up outta nowhere…Granted, I've had dreams about my parents, but I knew them longer than you knew your mom, so it makes more sense…" The tan blonde seemed to have stumped himself in his little rant and stared at Gaara expectantly.

He wished he could have given him a clear answer to that question, but all Gaara could do was shrug and say, "I don't know."

"Well, if this is the first time you've ever seen her since you were a baby, I doubt all she had to say was 'hey, how's it going,' y'know what I mean?"

"I suppose so…"

"Did she say anything that could give you any clues?" Naruto leaned forward, obviously interested.

Gaara thought for a moment. "She told me she was grateful to me," he murmured. That statement still kept him up at night—he could find no reason at all why she'd feel that way towards him. He was starting to doubt its sincerity at this point: maybe she was just fucking with him. Who hadn't at this point? It wasn't like he didn't deserve it in this case, anyway. He had killed her…

Twenty minutes passed, and neither boy could come up with any answers that made sense. So once the pizza was gone, they both retreated to their bedroom. Gaara calmly sat on his bed, feeling a little defeated, while Naruto leaped onto his own, content to sleep in his jeans.

Once he was dressed for sleep in flannel pants and a black t-shirt, Gaara let his weight fall back onto his bed once more. He stole a glance at Naruto. Not surprisingly, he was already passed out and snoring, leaving the redhead to attempt to do the same.

Perhaps it was the fact that Gaara's body was becoming accustomed to a regular sleep schedule, because it wasn't long before he soon nodded off as well. He slowly felt his body slip peacefully into blackness…

...

Gaara nearly jumped out of his light olive skin. His mouth ran dry and his bruised eyes bugged at the sight before him.

His surroundings were white, painfully white. The air around him stirred lightly, brushing his wavy crimson hair across his eyelashes. Several yards away stood a faded figure, back facing him. His heart caught in his chest: finally! He was having this all-to-familiar dream again! The redhead ran forward, questions nearly exploding off his tongue. He hardly knew what to say first, but it didn't matter—

Gaara stumbled to a halt. "Wait," he whispered, squinting his eyes. His breath blew out in white clouds; when had the air suddenly become so cold? Taking one step backwards, he bit the corner of his lip and felt a twinge of anger wrap around his stomach. _Something isn't right here_, he thought. _I can't explain what, but it feels sickeningly familiar… I need to keep my guard up._ With that thought in mind, he squared his feet beneath him (a fighting technique his brother once taught him) and let fists form at his sides. "Why have you come here?" he called out to the silhouette before him. He could have asked "who are you," but that answer didn't matter. This person wasn't his mother, and he didn't care for introductions right now.

Very suddenly, the figure was mere feet before Gaara—he had to force himself not to jump too high in surprise. The person's hair was golden and shoulder-length, exactly like his mother's…in fact, just about everything about this person was similar to her. Aside from a more angular bone structure, a straighter figure and larger hands, the two could very easily be mistaken for one another. They were even drenched in blood, just as she had been…

"What's wrong, Gaara?" The voice from the figure was light, yet echoed off invisible walls with such force that it seemed to have been hollered. Gaara could instantly tell that the voice was masculine. Not only that, but painfully familiar.

His breath hitched. "No… No. That's impossible," Gaara said aloud.

The man snapped around in an instant, exposing a toothy, bloody grin and shining purple eyes. "Don't you recognize your own blood?" he laughed, his smirk widening.

It wasn't disgust that coiled itself around Gaara's chest next. Nor was it fear, sorrow, or confusion.

White hot rage is what gripped him now. His whole body felt as if it were smoldering. He let his lips curl back into a snarl and he gnashed his teeth. Images of the last night he spent with this man flew before his eyes in an instant, only sending him into a deeper wrath:

_A six-year-old Gaara, crouched with his face buried in his knees._

_Whispers of hatred and malice, utterings of "This has to be done!"_

_Confusion, horror and so many tears._

_Blood, too much blood, it was everywhere, get it off get it off GET IT OFF_

_And that knife. That huge, sinister, glittering, deceptive knife stained with liquid ruby._

The man was still holding that goddamn knife. Twirling it in his fingers, taunting the young boy who now felt his rage explode beyond control. He lunged forward, wrapped his slender fingers around the man's bloody neck and used his foot to violently kick the blade from his hand. It clattered to the floor with a deafening clang. It seemed to echo for years.

"Yashamaru," Gaara spat, head bowed and eyes boring into the ones of his uncle. He leaned in close, trying to ignore the smell of blood that threatened to overpower him. "What the _fuck_ do you want?" Venom laced his every word. "You won't be able to finish what you started, especially here. This is my domain."

Yashamaru only seemed to smile more. He ran his tongue along his bottom lip, swallowing the blood it had picked up. "Just the way I remember your blood tasting," he nearly sang, eyes closing in bliss.

Gaara tightened his grip on his throat. "Shut the fuck up," he growled. "I don't care what you have to say. In fact, I might as well just silence you forever!"

A scoff. "You have no power over me."

"Really? Let's test that theory."

"You'll have your chance soon enough, dear nephew."

Gaara couldn't stop his fist from slamming into Yashamaru's stomach (not that he would've wanted to). Much to his annoyance, the man hardly flinched, but he chose to ignore it. "_Do not call me that_. You are no family of mine," he seethed.

"You can't escape me, Gaara," the older man cackled. "You need me."

"I need you _dead_."

"You'll understand soon enough, Gaa-chan. You need me so much more than you realize now."

Gaara was becoming perplexed. _Why does he insist that I will need him?_ he silently wondered. _What does he have that I need?_ "Explain yourself," he demanded. "And pray to God that you don't say something to enrage me further."

Yashamaru grinned slyly.

And then, suddenly, Gaara's world was black…

_BZZZZ! BZZZZ! BZZZ—_

Gaara flung his hand out reflexively, wrapping his hand around his vibrating cell phone. He sat up quickly, eyes wide, pulse rapid and adrenaline level high. He hadn't felt a rush like this since the last time he and his father had fought, the night before he left for school. Hell, this even surpassed that… _Why would Yashamaru be in my dream?_ he thought, brow furrowed.

It took him a moment to notice that his phone was still angrily shaking, demanding him to answer the incoming call. Gaara looked down and read the name on the screen:

**INCOMING CALL: Temari**

He cocked his head to the right, a little confused. Why would she be calling him at—he checked the time—6:43 in the morning? He touched the answer button and leaned forward, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "Temari?"

"Hey," came his sister's voice. She sounded awake and concerned. Two things that automatically set off red flags for Gaara. "Did I wake you?" she asked in a sheepish tone.

"No," he lied. He cleared his throat. "Why are you calling?"

Silence followed for a few short moments. Now Gaara was truly unsettled. He knew his sister very well; she was never awake before 10:00 unless she had a good damn reason, and she was _never_ silent when asked a question. Ever. "Temari, tell me," he said in a flat tone. "I know you're holding something back."

With a curt sigh, Temari blurted out what she had called to say, and the news nearly made Gaara roar with fury:

"Gaara, Uncle Yashamaru is out of prison."

* * *

**OH SHIT.  
Uncle Yashamaru is baaaaack~!**

**I promise, there is a reason for his existence in this story. A very important reason, at that.  
Stay posted. You'll find out. :3**

**One concern I have with this story is that I may be moving too slowly. If that is the case, please inform me.  
Reviews would be great, guys.**

**Thank you for reading! Graduation is in two days.  
Don't know why I told you all that.  
I GUESS I AM JUST EXCITED. :D**

**- Sakamoto Michiko**


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